On September 24, students at Cassidy Elementary were led by two local artists in interactive sessions to uncover the importance of how art builds community. Artists Bryce Oquaye and  Lennon Michalski incorporated Cassidy students’ ideas in their collaborative signature paintings. In partnership with Independence Bank and the Cassidy PTA, this project is part of The Fayette Education Foundation’s new initiative called LearnLocal.

LearnLocal empowers students and educators through community-based partnerships. Intentional partnerships can help transform learning, provide social supports, expose students to future career paths, and lead to long-term connections and provide structured support while reinforcing basic curriculum.

The artists and Independence Bank will collectively donate this collaborative painting to Cassidy Elementary, which will be hung in the school as a reminder to all who see it that beautiful things can happen when we all work together.  Following the assemblies, students were tasked with creating their own artwork from a rubric created by the artists. Independence Bank covered artist fees, canvas, and mixed media paper for students to produce their art.

Art boosts critical thinking, teaching students to take the time to be more careful and thorough in how they observe the world. Arts education connects students with their own culture as well as with the wider world.

Independence Bank chose to collaborate with Cassidy Elementary because they believe in investing in the communities they serve through their time and talent.  The Bank believes in supporting art education because it fosters diverse community, creates well-rounded human beings who are critical thinkers, and develops curious minds. Independence Bank conceptualized, organized and provided an interactive experience that reinforces the importance of art building community and bringing people together.

The Fayette Education Foundation supports education initiatives to meet its priorities to drive and strengthen community partnerships to improve opportunities and outcomes for all students; invest in student experiences that strengthen learning and build confidence; and expand access to career exploration to help students discover their path to success in college, career and life.

MEET THE ARTISTS

Artist:  Bryce Oquaye, Artist in Residence at Lexington Art League

Illustrator / Graphic Artist / Sequential Artist

Bryce Oquaye is an illustrator, comic artist and animator. His illustration and sequential style have placed him within a wide range of projects from comics and animation to cover art and apparel design. He’s worked on creator owned books like Wardens Watch, Kaiju Effect, and most recently Hard Justice, along with his work for companies like Z2 Comics, Thrillist, and Threadheads. He’s also directed music videos and animated visuals for hip hop artists like Devine Carama, the GemRats and TheseBeatsCostMoney.

He’s also a frequent collaborator and programmer in Lexington, KY with multiple organizations, helping with community-based art programming.

Artist:  Lennon Michalski, Studio Artist at Lexington Art League

Digital Media / Photography / Painting

Lennon Michalski’s two dimensional and digital works has exhibited in North Carolina, Kentucky, Colorado, Georgia, and Washington, D.C. He has also displayed work in group exhibitions internationally in Mexico, Colombia, and China. Michalski was on the Board of Directors for Creative Alliance for Art Education, a nonprofit organization, that worked to provide funding for art programs in Lexington, Kentucky public schools. Lennon is a Board Member for the Kentucky Arts Council. He works with a number of other nonprofit art organizations in the Lexington area including the Lexington Art League, Lex Arts, and the Living Arts and Science Center. Lennon’s work is in the collections of University of Kentucky Healthcare, the University of Kentucky, Clark Regional Medical Center, Churchill Downs Executive Office, Eastern Kentucky University, and Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center. He has given artist lectures at Morehead State University, Transylvania University, and the University of Northern Georgia. His previous solo shows were at The Cressman Center at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky, and the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning. He recently participated in a group show at the University of Northern Georgia and had a solo show at Georgetown University, exhibiting his series Ghost Bike. He completed a mural in the North Lime area of Lexington, Kentucky, and has completed two other murals, one in Ethiopia, and one for the Tate’s Creek Kroger. In addition to his painting and digital projects, Lennon also recently self-published two books entitled, “How Penguins Save Television” and the other “The Cosmic Sure”. The original artwork has been shown at the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning and the Woodford County Library. Other projects include collaborating digitally with the Bluegrass Youth Ballet and being Assistant Camera man on “The Happy Sad” (from the director of “Brother To Brother”). Lennon earned his Master of Fine Arts degree in Painting and Digital Media from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Over the past decade, he has worked as an independent Artist and an Instructor of Digital Media, Photography, and Painting. He recently taught History of Photography and Art & Science summer courses for Jilin University in Changchun, China.